March 28, 2017

    AVALANCHE ACTIVITY:

    Avalanche survivor near Terrace owes his life to rescuers, story in article section.

    Update on Nasu Onsen Resort Avalanche in Japan that killed 8. Story in article section.      Net Pic

    Avalanche control yesterday produced a few Sz 1 ssl Sc Xe, Na Sz 1's in aft with solar warming.

    YESTERDAY:

    Early Monday morning, March 27, 2017. A few sucker holes drifted through the valley.

    Fresh snow, 6 cm overnight 9cm in 24 hours at 1550 meters.

    Dust on cord to the valley.

    Snow flurries in the morning.

    Monday morning.

    Eventually became overcast with light snow.

    Visibility bacame an issue eventually.

    Big picture Monday Afternoon.

    Thick upper cloud layer.

    Snow surface conditions improved as the day progressed.


FORECAST:

A warm front will bring light/moderate precipitation and moderate SW winds to the area in a Westerly-Southwesterly flow aloft. The FL will hover in the 1400 meter range and may dip down to 1200 meters tonight. Another frontal band for Wednesday with similar precipitation and freezing levels. An upper trough will move through on Thursday with unsettled weather and an upper ridge will begin to build off the coast. Friday will see a mix of mostly sun and some cloud before a weak front moves into the area for Saturday, with warmer temperatures into Sunday.
Guesstimates: 12-18 cm by Wednesday morning, 12-18 cm by Thursday morning, 1-3 cm by Friday morning.

    GOES IR this am.

    Warm front pushing through today.

    Warm front today with light/moderate precipitation.

    Similar day on Wednesday.

      Southerly flow for Wednesday.

    Unsettled Thursday with a ridge building off the coast.

    Mostly sunny on Friday with some residual cloud.

    Weak front for Saturday.

    Sunday could go either way.


Weather Observations for March 28, 2017: taken at 06:00 Hours.

2240 meters      -6, Winds were 40-65 KPH S  --Horstman Hut 
2180 meters      -6, Winds were 45-75 KPH S  --Whistler Peak
1860 meters      -4, Winds were 30-45 KPH SE--Rendevous
1835 meters      -4, Winds were 20-45 KPH SE--Roundhouse
1650 meters      -3, 8 cm of new snow, 10 cm in 24 hrs, 336 cm Base, RH 92%  --Pig Alley
1550 meters      -3, 8 cm of new snow, 10 cm in 24 hrs, 247 cm Base, RH 97 % --Catskinner 

  660 meters     +1, Valley Temp, Max Temp Yesterday was +6.2, 2.0 mm of Precip recorded yest

     As of 07:00 Hrs this am we have obscured skies, limited visibility and snowing 1 cm per hour.



INFORMATION & OBSERVATIONS:

    Decker avalanche this past weekend, comments below.                                    Bruce Allen Image                    

"Pictured from upper left to lower right, a size 2.5 avalanche on a 40-45° slope running 200m off a 100ft bergshrund. Soft slab on a hard wind crust was kicked off from a shallow point in the snow pack; the more visible crown was a meter deep on the lee aspect and ran 100m on both sides. We stepped on a slope we couldn't see in whiteout conditions and we're lucky no one went for a ride."

From the Terrace Avalanche Involvement:
SAR call out Sunday. Group of 5 sledders heard report of fresh deposit with solo rider just obs travelling through area. Sz 3.0 avalanche ending in deep gulley feature. Experienced party initiated search. No transceiver signal, no surface clues. No last seen point. First probe strike hit victim. Victim was buried 200cm deep, on his back, cyanotic. Removed snow plug, victim coughed and came to. Recovered fully buried damaged sled. Victim drove sled out. Broken tooth and lost helmet. Victim was not wearing a transceiver. Ma Sz 3 near Terrace.

    Low valley cloud did lift in the morning.

    Melt freeze just below the tree line.

    The winter that just keeps on giving!!


ARTICLES:

Lone BC snowmobiler saved from avalanche: Terrace

Japan Avalanche kills seven students and a teacher: Nasu Onsen Resort

Police probing negligence in avalanche that killed 8: Japan

Colorado Backcountry skiers rely on Avalanche Forecasters Reports: CAIC

Mark McMorris injured in Whistler Backcountry: CBC News

Boston Doctors killed in Lake Louise Avalanche: Calgary Sun